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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. face — to confront
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fine — all right
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com